2017 Call for Proposals: Sixth Annual Queens New Music Festival

November 17, 2016

The members of Random Access Music collective are pleased to announce a call for proposals from new music ensembles for the 2017 Queens New Music Festival (www.queensnewmusicfestival.org) on May 19-21, 2017. Random Access Music seeks adventurous proposals from new music ensembles or individual artists dedicated to performing new music to participate in the Queens New Music Festival.

The Random Access Music composers’ collective (www.ram-nyc.org) will present 8 live concerts of new music during the week of May 19-21. RAM will offer performance space and logistical help to ensembles and individual performers that would like to help RAM further our mission of bringing new music to new audiences. Any ensemble that specializes in performing new music for the concert hall will be considered. Any genre or style will be accepted. The only requirement is that the proposed program must be comprised entirely of music written in the last 50 years or by living composers. Eight proposals will be selected by the panel of judges, which consist of the member composers and performers of Random Access Music. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

WHEN

The Festival will take place over three days: May 19-21, 2017. Concerts will take place on the evening of May 19th, May 20th 1pm-8pm, and 21st 1pm-5pm

WHERE

All the concerts will take place at the Secret Theatre, Main Stage, 44-02 23rd Street, Long Island City, NY. The Secret Theatre Main Stage space is located just 3 blocks from the PS1 art museum and just a 4 block walk (or less) from the N, Q, R, E, V, G and 7 trains. Long Island City has a burgeoning arts scene, with the Fisher Landau Center for Art , the Dorsky Gallery, the Noguchi Museum, the SculptureCenter, the Flux Factory, the Secret Theatre, and a dozen other flourishing arts groups and venues all located nearby. Secret Theatre will provide box office services for the concert, as well as light refreshments for purchase by the audience.

WHAT: RAM is accepting proposals from all groups and all genres of concert hall new music. While jazz-themed ensembles are acceptable, the festival’s emphasis will be on “concert hall” music (sometimes referred to as “serious” or “classical”). Jazz-themed ensembles should include in their proposal how their work bridges those boundaries. Proposals with electronic and digital instruments/equipment will be accepted. A digital projector and screen will be available for use during a performance. Ensembles chosen for the festival will be given approximately 60 minutes of technical rehearsal time in the venue during May 14-16. Set-up time during the festival will be approximately 30 minutes. Performances will be limited to approximately 75 minutes—including applause, change-over, or non-performance related activity.

HOW: The agreement between RAM and the performing ensembles will stipulate that all ticket sales will be divided equally between RAM and the performers (50/50). RAM will provide the venue, marketing of the festival as a whole, and logistical support for each ensemble. No performers’ fees will be offered by RAM. No travel expenses will be provided by RAM. No cartage fees will be provided by RAM. No sound, video or stage engineers will be provided by RAM. However, a house manager will be available. Simple tasks like pressing a playback or project button during the performance can be accommodated, however.

THE PROPOSAL: All proposals must be submitted via email to [email protected] The proposal should be no longer than 2 pages, should be submitted as a pdf document, and should include the following information:
• Name of the ensemble or individual artists
• Names of ensemble artistic personnel (internet links to artist bios are appreciated, but not required)
• A short description (1 or 2 paragraphs) of the proposed concert, including the titles, composers, and approximate lengths of the works to be performed. Programs must contain a minimum of 1 hour of performance time (including applause, etc.). For ensembles that specialize in improvisatory styles/genres, the description of your intended program should include the kinds of works you will present. (For example, is there a theme to the improvisatory works? Is there a unifying thread? Is there a technical or musical approach to the proposed concert? Describe the feel/look/form of the concert so that the panel can judge the kind of program we should expect to hear and to present with the other festival performers.) Also include any unique technical needs required by the performance.
• 2-5 internet links to audio clips or videos of the performing ensemble. If links are not available, please submit 1 or 2 mp3 clips of representative performances–no more than 10 megabytes TOTAL. Do not send multiple files totaling more than 10 megabytes. The judges will listen to the audio clips to verify artistic quality, only–not to determine which compositions we like or don’t like.
• Email address and name of contact person
• Any dates/times that cannot be scheduled by your ensemble
• 1 paragraph detailing recent concert attendance (include number of established audience, the actual audience size along with the name of a specific venue, or a reasonable estimate of the size of the audience that might attend your performance at the Queens New Music Festival).
Preference will be given to proposals with a well-planned program and to performers who show past success or strong future potential to build an audience for new music concerts.

PROPOSAL DEADLINE:
January 15, 2017. We look forward to hearing from you!